Zip Trip to Manhattan

A week ago last Friday, I got an email from a friend asking me if I would be interested in taking a quick trip to Manhattan. Of course, I would. My friend, who works in networking high-tech was on call that weekend and he volunteered to head to a cleint site to swap out a CISCO switch box. I love New York City, definitely prefer it to LA and since I hadn't been there since before 9/11, I jumped at the chance as I hurredly did a load of laundry. I was told that 'the work' would only take a half an hour, so we would be free to do our own thing for the weekend.

My friend picked me up early Saturday morning and he was already exhausted, since a violent thunderstorm hit the Boston area the night before and he had to wait for power to come back in a building in Milton. When the power came ack out, he had lost power at home, and as this was yet another hot an muggy weekend, he couldn't sleep without AC. Once that came back on, at about 4am and he tried to catch a little sleep, he got another trouble call.

He picked me up at home and we stopped for breakfast at Joe's a local diner (Eat at Joe's). He couldn't do any work until 3 pm and he arrived at about 9. You can make it to Midtown from here in 3 hours, depending on traffic and few stops, 4 hours of 'normal' traffic and we allowed 5 hours for a lunch break. We left about 10am. We ran into my brother Al at the diner.

We hit the road at 10am, stopped at a McDonald's somwhere around New Haven, got hit with a downpour in the area, and all I can say is thank God for air-conditioned vehicles, as the air was thick and soupy. Just open a window and feel what you are missing. We relied on GPS to get us to the World Financial District and we made it with about 20 minutes to spare. just try to find a parking space, especially with equipment. But we found one in a valet parking underground garage. I'm sure my friend will expense the parking.

I had to go to the bathroom while my friend went to work. Since it was only supposed to be a 'half hour's' work, I had a fresh Time magazine and an Ipod. I opted to wait in the lobby of the building which had its own self contained Mall, like the Gap, Starbucks, a few restauranst that cater to the workday crowd and were closed, but there was a Chinese restaurant that was open, which would come in handy later. But I had planned on just accomplishing two things this weekend - Bleeker Bob's Record Store in Greenwich Village and a trip to Chinatown.

The building is directly across the street from Ground Zero, in fact, there were tour busses that were discharging tourists on the second flor lobby where I was, so they could view the hole, which is guarded 24/7 by the NYPD. I grabbed a seat outside a cafe and got comfortable.

The hours would pass. I walked around and browsed in the stores, went outside, where the air was tropical and there were a few downpours and umbrella vendors were soon making a brisk business by unprepared tourists. It cleared, I tried getting in touch with my friend, whose Nextel was unavailable, but my Verizon had 4 and 5 bars, better than it is at home. I sat outside for a little bit at the waterfront, as I could see the Statue of Liberty, off into the distance, a tiny figurine from my vantage point. But I could have easily been in Cambridge on the Charles rather than New York on the East River (or is it the Hudson?). I called Chris and we talked for awhile but I cut it short so as to not use up all my battery power and another rainshower chased me indoors. Off across the river, you could hear the sounds of an outdoor conert or street fair.

There was a Starbucks on the lower level and so I went down there for an iced Americano. I went back to my roost and continued reading my magazine. About 9, I started to get hungry. I didn't want to eat much because I knew my friend would eventually finish up and we would go eat, so I went down to Starbucks to check out the sandwiches. But I wasn't about to pay $5.75 for a cold sandwich, when for a few bucks more, I could gom to the Chinese restaurant and have hot appetizers. Sure nuff, my phone rang as I chowed down. It was my friend telling me to go get food, although he was starving. I told him I was way ahead of him. After I eat, he sent security down to get me, as I was afraid thatn they'd kick me out of the lobby eventually, since the place has since gotten vacant. They do kick people out, but not until midnight.

He finished up with work at about 10 and so we headed out to the hotel, the Times Hilton. Guided by GPS, W 43th was blocked off for a concert, but I got out and asked the concierge where we could park. Once settled it, we went out to Dallas BBQ, which my friend had heard good reviews. I loved the music. very Motown, but the 'crispy fish' was not the best of had. Despite the fact that New York is supposed to be a 24 hout town, many things were closing even in Times Square at around 2am.

I plugged in my Ipod and it didn't charge, but I think that it won't recharge unless the battery is really low. He plugged in his cellphone.

The next day, he told me the outlet probably didn't work as his cellphone didn't charge, so he plugged it in in the bathroom. His phone began to ring and there were problems at work. He said 'we'd' need an escort into the building, but I suggested that he let me be on my own and we would keep in touch by cellphone. I would have many 'bars' on my Verizon, while I kept getting his Voicemail on his Nextel.

So, about 10:45, I set out walking down 5th Ave, with my eventual destination was to be Bleeker Bobs and Chinatown. I brought with me a bottle of water and a camera and a Time magazine for the times I'd be sitting down killing time. I took pictures of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, which isn't far from Times Square and got a picture of the Flatiron Building in the distance.

The weather wasn't bad for walking as the showers and humidity from the day before had been replaced with clear and temperate skies. Good for people watching which is the only way to see Manhattan.

I essentially walked down 5th Avenue snapping pictures with my disposable camera. I took a picture of a cool building, that reminded me of a modern Addam's family house, (not sure of the name the style of architecture) which was near Greenwich Village. I toyed with the idea of visitng the Empire State Building but the cost and the line discouraged, but we would visit it the next day.
I got some nice pictures of the Flatiron Building.

I eventually made my way to Bleeker Bob's on West 3, but before getting there I took a rest stop at Washington Square Park. I saw some street performers, with one guy juggling fire and a skateoard, and another group of break dancers. A fun diversion. Another stop I made before getting there was the East-West Bookstore, somewhere around 5th and 22nd or so.

I needed the break, good thing I had a bottle of water with me. After a few minutes, I pushed on to Chinatown. Passing through SoHo, however, along Broadway, New York was having a typical Sunday street fairs with clothes, toys, linens, food and music on display and for sale. Some great soundns and smells, but I opted to refrain from eating until Chinatown.

When I finally got there, I was exhausted, hungry, my feet were killing me and I had to go to the bathroom. It was in Chinatown that I encountered my largest crowds and even walking moved at a snails pace. I would have really enjoyed the experience, but I was just too tired and getting cranky. I stopped at a restaurant whose name I can't rememer, got shrimp that was listed as $14.99, got charged $16.99 and it did not come with rice. (Extra). And even the tea was in a can. I would have not chosen this particular restaurant had my feet not have been killing me. I also had some dumplings since they had no wontons on the menu. The food was good, but I was still somewhat disappointed nonetheless. I toyed with the idea of taking the subway back to Times Square, but I had a chance to rest and got my second wind. My friend called and told me he was still stuck at work, so I saw no need to hurry back. So I started walking back via Broadway.

No soonet than leaving Chinatown, after checking out some of the stores, which seemed to push the same kitchcy Chinese things (I will revisit the place when not tired) and having walked passed a restaurant called WonTon Garden on Mott, (will eat there next time) I passed by a plant store with a young Chinese woman eyeing a Fairy Castle Cactus. I encouraged her to make that purchase as she was checking out others, although I felt the Fairy Castle was definitely the one she should buy. She bought it! I should sell plants. I stopped in the store, packed with plants and leaves and was a jungle atmosphere and I asked him how much his Pachypodium was. He didn't know waht I was talking about, so I referred to it my its common name, Madagascar Palm, which he still didn't know what I was referring to, so I brought him over to it. It was about one foot tall and was selling for $20. Good to know, if I ever get mine to grow (more about that in another post). I saw one young women with her packages, walking down the street, balancing a plate of food in her other hand wending her way through the crowd. She must have been a Native New Yorker (the song was playing in my head).

I walked up Broadway, branching off at the Flatiron Building and took a rest stop at Union Square Park. I needed to get off my feet, so I found a piece of wall to sit on as I watched the skateboarders, lovers, native and tourist do their thing. I called my friend Chris again and after about 20 minutes, decided to push ever onward.

It was starting to get dark as I walked up Broadway past the Flat Iron Building and the street was getting deserted. Where were the 'Lights of Broadway'. I started to pick up the pace, although all I wanted to do at that point was to cut my feet off.

At about 8:30, my friend called, said he was FINALLY done with work and I told him I was headed back to the hotel but god knows when I'd arrive. The solution was he was calling a cab back to the hotel, so he had the cab stop and pick me up at Broadway and 33rd. We got back to the hotel, I hit the shower and we went out, (more walking) so he could buy souvenirs.

Obviously, with all the technical problems, we had to book the room for another night. While I was away, my friend tried to catch some sleep, and there was a 'problem' with the room. Apparetly, they were full or something, but the problem was soon fixed. I decided to wait till morning to get my souvenirs. We ended up walking down 7th Avenue, almost headed into Mid-town, when I protested I could go no further, so we stopped for pizza to get off my feet. Not bad. Wasn't really hungry, but I am on a mission to test out all the pizza joints throughout the world so this place was open at 1am.

The next day, my friend was scheduled to be 'released' from work at noon, but that didn't happen until 2:40, but he didn't have to go back to the client site until the end of the day to pick up his PC, so we had most of the day to 'enjoy'. I let him pick what he wanted to do and after picking up some newspapers for my brother, some tee-shirts and I did get a Creedence Dance CD from Bleeker Bob's, I had almost all the souvenirs I needed. But he wanted to go to the Empire State Building.

The last time I was in New York was before 9/11. I last went with my brother and sister as 'touristas' and one thing a tourist would do would be to go to the top of one of Manhattan's tallest buildings and check the view. At that time, I would have preferred to go to the top of the Empire State Building because it is more the epitome of New York in the popular imagination over the World Trade Center, which was technically taller. They had been to the top of both, so we went to neither.

So, even though I've been to the top of tall buildings like Boston's Prudential Building and Hancock Tower (900 feet) and Seattle's Space Needle. Ironically, I never went to the top of the Las Vegas' Stratosphere even when I lived there for years and years, but I said okay, since it is the building that King Kong climbed on, so if it was good enough for him, its good enough for me.

Things of course, have changed dramatically since 9/11 when it comes to sightseeing from tall buildings. Going to the top of the Empire State Building was akin to going on an airplane. Check your bags, remove your belt and shoes and go through metal detectors. All this and an hour and a half wait. We figured what the hell, we'll spring for the extra bucks to go all the way to the top of the 102nd floor as well as the view from the 86th floor. Of course, after all the waiting my feet were killing me, but the view was fantastic and I got a few good pictures. I opted NOT to purchase the audio tour and on the 86th floor, I was shooed away from sitting on the outside of the outside steps. It was quite crowded up there, and in the end, I was glad I went. Now that's a New York 'must do' is now done.

That killed most of the afternoon, so we headed back to my friend's client's office to pick up his PC. We went to Battery Park, enjoyed the beautiful day, watched the children run under the sprinklers, since it was quite warm out. I would have preferred to go on a cruise, but they were not running on Mondays, so I tried to talk my friend into a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, but he wanted to head for dinner so we could get ready for heading home after the rush hour traffic abated, so we went down to the Wall Street area and went to Delmonico's for EXCELLENT (and expensive) food. I had the Shrimp Kabobs. I thin they were U22s, or the largest shrimp available, For the first time in my life, I got FULL eating shrimp.

After dinner, we let the GPS guide us out of The City and headed back home, arriving around 1AM.

If there are duplicate thought processes in this post, my apologies. I wrote it over a period of weeks.

Next up: Mainly Maine.